Sound - Lecture notes All PDF

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Sound          

Sound is another way in which the majority of films we watch reinforce seamless narrative and “reality”. A sound track as an ongoing stream of auditory information, not as a set of discrete sound bits. It shapes our understanding of images. When we talk about sound, we are often referring to synchronised sound, which is often added to the film in post-production. In Marxist terms, sound “hides” the work of the filmmaking process by faithfully recreating the sounds of the real world on film. Colour and sound were the two great innovations in film in the 20s and 30s. We are wrong to think that sound only refers to synchronised sound. Sound was always a part of movies. In early silent films, the film was often accompanied by live music. The benshi in Japanese theatre: o Stood in the theatre and interpreted the action to the audience. o Strangely, the benshi was still a part of Japanese cinema even after synchronised sound arrived.

Four types of cinematic sound:    

Music. Noise (sound effects). Dialogue. Ambient sound/room tone.

Diegetic and non-diegetic sound:       

Diegetic sound – all sound that is audible to characters in the story world, including dialogue and noises (has a source in the story world). Non-diegetic sound – any sound not audible to the characters (comes from a source outside the story). Internal diegetic sound – a character’s audible thoughts. External diegetic sound – the sound has a physical source in the scene. Diegetic drop out – occurs when background noise in a scene fades out to focus attention on dialogue. Pre-recorded music can be used diegetically. We might hear a voice which seems to be a voiceover, but then we discover that the character is actually in conversation with the diegesis.

All forms of sound can:   

Noise:

Direct attention. Cue expectations and interpretations. Amplify or undermine realism.

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Environmental sound: o Can supply continuity between shots. o Can reinforce mood. The term “wild sound” refers to environmental sound with distinct qualities (i.e. children playing or a particular sound that stands out from general traffic noise). Special effects.

Ambient sound:      

It is important to note that environmental sound is not necessarily ambient sound. Ambient sound is also not “silence”. Ambient sound – what a space sounds like when nothing is happening. Every space, indoor and outdoor has ambient quality. Also known as a “buzz track”. “Room tone” refers to the sound of an empty interior space and is used to set sound levels for post-production editing.

Noise and post-production:  

Most noise is added in post-production, as is a lot of dialogue and music. Allows for the controlled inter-relating of sound in the editing process.

Fidelity:   

Very important with regard to sound. Refers to the extent to which the sound is faithful to the source as we conceive it. Has more to do with our expectations than with the reality of sound.

Foley artists: 

Making and recreating sounds.

Sound and exaggeration:  

The exaggeration of stylistic conventions often transforms their meanings. Can be humorous.

Qualities of sound:   

Volume. Pitch. Timbre.

Volume:   

Often manipulated in films. Diegetic drop out. A film may startle the viewer by exploiting abrupt and extreme shifts in volume – called changes in dynamics.

Pitch:  

The “highness” or “lowness” of a sound. The difference between dropping a dead body and breaking a crystal glass.

Timbre:  

The tonal quality of the sound, most obviously seen in voices. A certain “colour” that the sound has.

How does sound direct the viewer’s attention?   

Sound is always manipulated in the majority of narrative films. This is so that that director gets exactly what he or she wants in terms of locating the viewer in the film space. If we see someone walking down a street, the sound of their footsteps will be highlighted to focus attention on them.

Sound and off-screen space:  

Sound is important in alerting us to the three-dimensional nature of the screen world. Horror movies using off-screen sound to scare us with noises we can’t see, or noises that suggest something terrible.

Sound and Editing:  

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Can place us in two places at once. Sound bridges: o Sound can be used to “bridge” between two scenes, making them flow more effectively. o Can collapse time and cut out unnecessary action. o Sets up expectations that are quickly confirmed. Dialogue overlap – the filmmaker continues a line of dialogue across a cut, smoothing over the change of shot

Sound and time: The idea behind sound in films is that it is “synchronous” – the sound matches the image being projected.  Sound can also be asynchronous.  Some directors deliberately undermine the tendency towards synchronous sound, causing the viewer to question the “meaning” of the sound and the image, and to remind us that we are watching a fiction.  Simultaneous sound – the sound takes place at the same time as the image.  Non-simultaneous sound – the sound we hear takes place later or earlier than the images projected. Rhythm: 

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Involves a beat, a tempo, and a pattern of accents (stronger and weaker beats).

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Any consideration of the rhythmic uses of sound is complicated by the fact that the movements in the images have a rhythm as well, distinguished by the same principles of beat, tempo, and accent. In addition, editing also has a rhythm. The filmmaker may choose to create a disparity among the rhythms of sound, editing, and image.

What are the functions of the cinematic soundscape?      

Establishing atmosphere. Spatio-temporal location, situating us within the story world. Extending screen space. Cueing audience expectations. Aiding interpretation of the narrative. Eliciting visceral reactions, and provoking emotional responses....